Possible to live on one wage? ChCh
 

Hi, following on from my last thread about cost of living was i being unrealistic in expecting to be able to manage on one wage (family of 4 - with 2 x 7 year olds)?
Based on what we spent over our month in NZ and what people on here are saying there is no way we could do anymore than make ends meet, even taking housing costs out of the equation, am i missing something?

Its not looking good for the move now:(

Re: Possible to live on one wage? ChCh
 

Hi Chippy Giles,

We're making the move to ChCh in April and I'll be working while Mrs JM stays at home to look after our 2 boys. As for surviving on one wage I would say that very much depends on the following things:

1. What your salary is going to be?
2. What lifestyle you are looking for?
3. What family activities and outgoings you expect to have outside of the usual bills, food etc
4. If you are going to be renting/buying.

Don't forget if you were visiting for the month you'll have probably spent more than you generally would on normal everyday living.

Cheers
JerseyMatt

Re: Possible to live on one wage? ChCh
 

Salary converts to about GB£30k before stoppages, which sounds great compared to what i get at the moment...however,
Rent or mortgage payments just about completely wipe that out but hopefully if we got a decent price for our place here we should be able to buy somewhere outright.
Not looking for a fantastic lifestyle but can't see the point in making the move then have to spend every minute of every day working just to make ends meet and if the OH works then we would need to pay for child care and see even less of them.

Re: Possible to live on one wage? ChCh
 

Managing/surviving - doesn't sound like much of an improvement on the UK. Hopefully Chch house prices are slowing down now from what I read. :)

Re: Possible to live on one wage? ChCh
 

converting money back to sterling isn't really going to help as living costs are not on a par with UK.

on todays exchange rate the tax you will pay on salary is:

Income tax rate
Income up to $38000 taxed at 19.5% $38,000.00 $7,410.00
Income over $38000 up to $60000 taxed at 33% $21,934.00 $7,238.22
Remaining income taxed at 39% $0.00 $0.00
Total $59,934.00 $14,648.22

so take home would be $45,286 aprox

so you then need to take out rent/mortgage.
food
insurance
health costs - GP Dental
cost of running a car?
schooling?
household cost - bills, phones, TV
clothing
and thats just day to day costs (ones I can think of at the moment)

Re: Possible to live on one wage? ChCh
 

Yep working it out cost wise I think it probably works out about the same as earning gb£18-20k at home

Re: Possible to live on one wage? ChCh
 

Oh of course it'll be enough - easy

Buy a tent and then book a pitch at the Christchurch Holiday Park or one of the places for $40 a night. You may think $40 a night is on the expensive side but look, it's $280 a week. $280 a week is a bargain, and you can all have a nice tent to sleep in together.
The bonus of this, you won't have to pay for electricity (saving you $80-$200 a month), you won't have some rental company or landlord wanting 4 weeks bond etc, you won't be at risk of getting booted out of your place if the retarded EQC say so and also, you won't have a TV so no need to pay for sky or a box - brlliant.
Do not bother buying a car! Waste of money and expensive, instead walk or perhaps go to the bike rentals near the airport and spend $10 to hire a day. You'll get fit easy walking or cycling to work. So what if your working in Lyttleton, it's good exercise
Now onto the shopping, Countdown do $15 family meal deals - go down that route. Just buy what you are going to eat that evening. Don't bother with a decent food shop, waste of time. So what if you have family that needs attending to, so what if by the time you get home you just want to have dinner and sleep, nah not the Kiwi way! On the way back from your cycle or walk, go all the way to Marshland Road (get there before he shuts at 5) and buy from the fresh fruit n veg shop. Then go to your butchers to get a decent meat. If you don't have the time, then your wife could walk or cycle to there to do it for you!
Clothes needed? Go to K-Mart or Warehouse - they have clothing at excellent prices. Buy in bulk when it's sale season. If they don't have your size, so what - there's nothing wrong with you buying a XXXXXL size t-shirt for just $4, you'll get good use out of it. You can pick your cutlery and cooking utensils up from those shops as well, a set from K-Mart may cost you around $40, bargain!
So there you have it, get a cheap tent, rent a pitch for a few years, walk/cycle to work, spend $15 a day on food - that's one wage living sorted. Your weekly expenditure would be $105 + $280 = $385 a week.

This post was sponsored by the commentators on the site thepress.co.nz as the majority of them would do this. This post is not reflective of my views as I don't have the same blinkered eye view that the press commentators have.

Re: Possible to live on one wage? ChCh
 

Hi, I really don't post on here often but I do stop and read a lot:)
I felt compelled to post a BIG warning, it's not gonna be what you want to hear and I will probably get jumped on but............
That is an impossible amount to even just get by on and I don't see how you could even get breaking even on that wage alone:(
Sorry but been here 6 years now and seen the cost of living rise in that time etc....
I would think that a single person on their own would struggle on a take home pay of$45,000.

Re: Possible to live on one wage? ChCh
 

Sorry Chippy but I have to agree. Unless you are going to be mortgage free (and possibly even if you are mortgage free) this is not going to be enough to have any sort of lifestyle, modest or otherwise. To give you some idea; our mortgage repayments are around $325 a week. We have a combined income of over $100,00 with one daughter and we are not well off here by any means -we're not poor but we don't have a disposable income either.

I went to the supermarket last night to pick up some bits - came out with 12 items and it cost me $71!! (OK so one was a ($12) bottle of wine and a kg of tasty cheese but still, sheesh!).

Do you need to settle in Chch? Can you relocate to a cheaper area? (property-wise, groceries are expensive everywhere).

Re: Possible to live on one wage? ChCh
 

Rats :( I know how long & hard you've worked for and wanted this.

I may have missed it but what is the hourly rate if you don't mind sharing.

Could your wife think to look for p/t work? I know finding that isn't a given.

Re: Possible to live on one wage? ChCh
 

There always seems to be lots of retail jobs advertised in shop windows in the malls we visit (mainly Northlands).

Re: Possible to live on one wage? ChCh
 

Further things to add

If food costs are a bit expensive, you do know that the sea is just a short distance away in Christchurch? A good old swim with a hand made wooden spear, catch some fish and you've got a lovely meal for the evening. If our ancestors survived on this in the 1800s then it can still be done today. If you're not a strong swimmer, no worries - there's plenty of Trout and Salmon in the rivers, yum yum!

Also, there's plenty of natural green goodness, as well as clear water. A good drink and wash in the rivers would be fine? Polluted - yeah/ nah!

I can give your kids a bucket and a sponge and they could go round washing peoples cars for money. Failing that, I know of two good locations where traffic is busy if they want to earn a dollar for a windscreen wash. Please remember to be polite to the drivers... also cyclists don't need their helmets cleaning

Manchester Street, Salisbury Street, Colombo Street and Peterborough Street are excellent locations for extra work for the wife if money is a real struggle as well

Again.... this helpful comment comes from the I'm Alright Jack brigade who apparently would be more than happy to live like this. It does make you wonder whether or not the local press commentators are mind stuck in the 1870s. I certainly would not wish for your partner to take work on those streets, I certainly wouldn't wish kids to clean cars and fishing with no rod in the sea wouldn't be easy. Especially when blood pours, the Great White Sharks may take an interest if nearby. That or the eels if in the rivers

Re: Possible to live on one wage? ChCh
 

Are you suggesting a spot of poaching Tom1983. :sneaky: You have to buy a license to go fish the rivers .

Re: Possible to live on one wage? ChCh
 

Sorry to have to say it but we could not manage on that and we have only a small mortgage by most people's standards. We have no expensive hobbies, no boats, a cheap and cheerful motor (we only got a second one last years after managing with only one for 10 years). WE don't eat out much and live in the arse end of the NI where there is a limited amount in terms of shopping or activities to spend our money on.
I work full time and the wife holds down two jobs to keep a family of four in food and clothes.
I just don't think it is as attractive a place to emigrate to as it was 10-20 years ago unless you have a lot of money behind you and are coming to take up a CEO's job.
That's not to say it is impossible but it certainly isn't easy.

Re: Possible to live on one wage? ChCh
 

A license???

Damn, best go back to the drawing board...

Do you need one to sea fish??? Plenty of ocean to practice swimming if one isn't a strong swimmer

By the way there are plenty of red zone houses you can move into. That way, you won't pay a single penny. If you get caught by the police and face a hefty fine, plea innocence and that it's the only place you can afford

Oh and watch out for the arsonists